Have you ever felt inclined to work with disabled children?
Let me guess.
You’ve probably become a volunteer to help disabled children in your church, community, or neighborhood. No pressure there!
But what if you could turn your passion into a job?
Yes, you heard that right. There are amazing jobs that work with disabled children and pay heavily. So, it’s a win-win situation for you. You earn from what you love to do best; caring for children with special needs.
Keep reading to find out about these jobs. I’ve simplified the whole process for you.
Table of Contents
- Skills You Need to Work with Disabled Children
- Top 7 Jobs Working with Individuals with Disabilities
Skills You Need to Work with Disabled Children
Apart from getting the certifications and license to work with disabled children, these skills will help you become successful in the job.
First Aid
This skill is important for people working with disabled children, no matter your job title, responsibility, or qualifications. First aid skills can help in a home accident or an unforeseen incident requiring immediate basic health services like CPR.
So, it’s advisable to have first aid skills if you seek a job that works with disabled children.
Related: How to Successfully Report Someone Taking Advantage of a Disabled Person
Therapy
It turns out that therapy is both a skill and profession considered a great asset for people working with disabled children. Okay, let’s get to the point. Therapy as a skill helps you leverage empathy, sensitivity, and compassion when working with disabled children.
It also puts you in control of difficult times, allowing you to use strategic approaches to instigate productive communications when working with disabled children.
Creativity
Don’t forget that disabled children have special needs and need outside-the-box ideas to help them develop better coping mechanisms. Willingness to learn and open-mindedness are skills you should learn and have if you desire to work with disabled children.
Patience
A popularly known fact is that jobs that work with disabled children can sometimes be frustrating and challenging. Yes, it won’t be rosy all the time, and you will have your dark days too.
But with patience, you will easily scale through such days. As a person working with disabled children, you need a high level of patience to succeed in your job.
Related: Top 4 Services Available to Handicapped Persons
Top 7 Jobs Working with Individuals with Disabilities
1. Special Education Teacher
Children with disabilities have varying learning, physical, and emotional needs. And this is where a special education teacher fits in.
A special education teacher is someone trained professionally to help children with disabilities deal with their learning challenges.
Believe it or not, a special education teacher is a great influence in the life of a disabled child, and the demand is ever increasing. According to research, the number of special education teachers has been growing at 70.30% since 2018.
This research implies that special education teacher is not a job likely to fade out anytime soon. Choosing this career path requires working with children with disabilities either in a specific academic subject or basic skills and literacy.
Related: Can a Disabled Veteran be Recalled to Active Duty? (Answered)
2. Occupational Analyst
You can consider taking up a job as an occupational analyst if you have an unexplainable fondness for children with special needs and desire to help them perform basic skills. You need a degree in occupational therapy to become an occupational analyst; you will find several schools admitting people in this regard.
In some states, you will also need a license to practice in this line.
Your role as an occupational therapist for disabled children includes helping children with special needs to use the toilet, eat, and take their baths. You are to guide them to carry out basic day-to-day activities and do it conveniently.
3. A Social Worker
As its name implies, a social worker for disabled children helps them improve their physiological and social functioning. The job also extends to coordinating therapies helpful to children with special needs.
While some states require a degree in social work to become a social worker for disabled children, others do not. Regardless, a degree in social work will give you an edge in your job search.
4. A Nanny
You can take up nanny jobs for disabled children in your neighborhood, church, etc. Becoming a nanny for disabled children depends on the child’s parent. Some parents may prefer people with early childhood education, while some may be willing to employ someone with no formal education.
Regardless, you will always find a nanny job for disabled children that you can fit in. Your job role as a nanny includes but is not limited to assisting disabled children with basic everyday tasks and accompanying disabled children to societal functions.
5. Developmental Psychologist
A developmental psychologist helps children with special needs with better treatments and therapy to improve their living conditions. As a developmental psychologist, you can work independently or with institutions like schools, hospitals, and churches.
Additionally, a developmental psychologist studies and interact with disabled children, then give suggestions, recommendations, and advice to improve their living condition. You’ll need a master’s or doctorate in developmental psychology and a license for this job.
6. Sign Language Interpreter
Here is another fantastic job opportunity if you are interested in working with disabled children, particularly children with hearing impairment. Sign language interpreters help children with hearing impairments to socialize easily. Your job is to help them translate speeches and conversations.
Familiarity with sign language and good communication skills are basic requirements to become a sign language interpreter. A sign language interpreter also needs excellent public relations skills and attention to detail.
7. Physical Therapist
A physical therapist for disabled children covers everything from a teaching exercise to physical therapies that reduce physical pains and improve healthy living. As a physical therapist, you can work in a school, hospital, or clinic.
However, you need a degree in physical therapy and a license to take up this job.
Note that the job of a physical therapist differs greatly from a prosthetist. Although, a physical therapist can work with a prosthetist to improve the physical well-being of disabled children.
A degree in prosthetics and orthotics is required before you can take up a job as a prosthetics. You will also need 1-year clinical residency to support your certification.
